Thrift Store Score: A Vintage Pocketbook

One of my best thrift store finds ever (in Denmark)!

I haven’t used the word “pocketbook” since I moved out of my grandmother’s house many moons ago, but somehow, “pocketbook” just seems more appropriate than “purse” or handbag” in this case.

In Aarhus, my chances of encountering some of my lifetime best thrift store finds ever are between slim and none. The city is full of university students living on student budgets so the best things are sold pretty much as soon as soon as they come in. The best thrift stores are out in the suburbs, far away from the bus routes.

My main freelance gig is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, where competition for the holy grail of thrift shop finds isn’t at all what it is in Aarhus. I try to swing by the two local thrift shops once a week. It’s not a wealthy area, so the donations aren’t stellar and I come up empty handed most of the time, but I lucked out the other day because everything in the store was 50% off and I found this vintage pocketbook for 22.50 kr. (less than $4!!!!).

I’ve found a lot of great secondhand things over the years, but I consider this to be one of my best thrift store finds ever in Denmark! I’ve been looking for a vintage granny chic pocketbook like this for aeons and have found quite a few, but the insides are usually gross, or the leather is cracked, or they just look tired. Not this one! It’s in pristine condition and even came with a little mirror. I have a feeling its previous owner “saved it for good” as my grandmother used to say.

I’ve been thrift shopping on and off since the early ’90s. I wish I had photos of some of my treasures from that era. I scored most of my best thrift store finds ever back then because stuff from the 1960s and ’70s was just hitting the shops and I’d often find things like a vintage 1960s faux leopard fur swing coat, Gunne Sax dresses, and psychedelic mini-dresses that I thought looked so cool with my fishnets and 8-eye Doc Martens. I wish I’d held onto some of those things because my style has evolved over the years, but the 60s have always been my style muse.

I love that it’s classic without being pretentious, and pretty without being precious. It’ll go perfectly with summer dresses, my poncho, and my (growing collection of) Swedish Hasbeens. My new pair of black Fredricas came today and I love them almost as much as my red ones!